Chapter 144: Guardian Jin, Mr. Ling

The corpses of the bodyguards left at the Feng family residence were all killed by the hands of the Jinmen Gang.

It is worth mentioning that among those from the Jinmen Gang who took action, besides a few Qi-Condensing martial masters, there was also an occult practitioner of unknown background.

From the "revolving lantern" of the bodyguards' memories, Xu Qing did not see the occult practitioner strike; he only saw that person standing at the bow of the boat, while the vessel was filled with paper figures and paper effigies with faces like gold paper.

By the looks of it, the other party's status seemed even higher than those Qi-Condensing martial masters.

Moreover, the paper effigies on that boat also looked exceptionally familiar.

Xu Qing suddenly remembered the wealthy playboy he had encountered while Xuanyu was guarding the shop.

That person had once spent one hundred silver taels to buy up all the paper effigies in the shop. Now, looking at the paper figures and paper horses on the boat, the more Xu Qing looked, the more he felt they were the very paper effigies he had been selling on consignment in his shop!

"Second Master, I'd like to ask you about something. In the circle of Jinmen playboys, is there such a person..."

"A playboy who plays with paper effigies? What kind of twisted hobby is that? I've never heard of it."

Xu Qing raised an eyebrow and said, "Doesn't Second Master also play with 'Out-Horse Immortals'?"

"That's different. We at least attach the word 'Immortal' to it. That paper effigy stuff is so creepy! Brother Xu, don't overthink it. The funeral business you usually do is a proper trade, but if anyone is just idling about and making paper figures to play with for fun, that's a bit... eccentric!"

"Does Brother Xu play with paper figures?"

"I don't."

Second Master Feng laughed, "There you go. What decent person plays with paper figures? Doesn't it just give you the creeps?"

Although Second Master Feng didn't recall such a character, he still provided some clues.

"I haven't seen anyone who loves paper figures, but I do know a playboy who is generous with money and likes to dabble in all sorts of fringe hobbies."

Second Master Feng pondered, "That man is named Long Engui. Because his godfather and god-grandfather were both favored attendants in the palace, enjoying imperial grace for two generations, he changed his name to this."

"This person and I don't get along, and we don't run in the same circles. I ran into him at the flower and bird market a few days ago and only then learned he had come to Jinmen."

Second Master Feng speculated, "He loves to tinker with those fringe things. I remember when we were in the capital, this guy even spent a fortune buying zombies for amusement."

"Buying what?" Xu Qing froze for a moment, doubting if he had heard correctly.

"Zombies. You know, the kind where a dead person has gone cold and then gets back up to hop around!" Fearing Xu Qing didn't understand, Second Master Feng specifically explained.

"No, why would he buy zombies?"

Upon hearing this, Second Master Feng bared his teeth and then recounted an incredibly absurd old story.

It was said that when Long Engui was young, he was greedy for pleasure and loved to play. He had experienced almost everything fun and playable in the capital. By the time he was a bit older, Long Engui caught a strange illness: he couldn't find interest in anything.

He didn't want to go to the gambling dens, and he felt the brothels were boring. Long Engui felt that if things went on like this, how would he be any different from the monks in the temple?

After much thought, Long Engui called over his hangers-on and let those idlers give him ideas.

The hangers-on had no other skills, but they had plenty of rotten ideas.

One hanger-on said, "Master Long, the reason you find things uninteresting is because you've grown tired of ordinary things. To cure this illness, we must play with something fringe and stimulating!"

Long Engui asked, "Then what is both fringe and stimulating?"

The hanger-on replied, "Find a corpse-driver in the Ghost Market and buy a female zombie to play with. How stimulating would that be!"

Long Engui's eyes lit up, "What's the fun in a female zombie? I have a sweetheart at the male-prostitute house; I'll go discuss it with him. He'll definitely be willing!"

No one knew if that little sweetheart at the male-prostitute house agreed of his own accord or was tricked and abducted by Long Engui.

In any case, a few days later, news spread through the capital that Young Master Long had been bitten by a zombie and had no choice but to go to the Celestial Master Mansion for treatment.

After finishing the story of Long Engui's past absurdity, Second Master Feng shook his head and said, "Fools have foolish luck. After Long Engui went to the Celestial Master Mansion and stayed for a few days, somehow or other, he made a connection with them and became responsible for procuring occult items for the Celestial Master Mansion."

"The paper figures Brother Xu mentioned might just be the ones he bought to send to the Celestial Master Mansion."

Xu Qing recalled the appearance of that occult practitioner at the bow of the boat and asked, "How old is Long Engui?"

"About forty or so."

Xu Qing fell into thought.

The occult practitioner from the Jinmen Gang was only about twenty. Looking at it this way, the other party could very well be from the Celestial Master Mansion.

But why would a Daoist from the Celestial Master Mansion get involved in the affairs of the Jinmen Gang?

Leaving the flower and bird market, Xu Qing returned to the mortician's shop and opened for business as usual, appearing as if he didn't care at all about the loss of his goods.

On the miscellaneous goods shelf, there was a vanity mirror for sale, intended as a burial object for a female tomb owner. Ever since Xuanyu returned from the flower and bird market, she had been sitting on the shelf, mouth agape, staring at the bronze mirror.

It was just that every time she opened her mouth, her eyes couldn't easily see the reflection in the mirror.

Xu Qing was baffled, so he walked up to the high shelf, tilted his head back, and asked, "What's wrong with your teeth?"

Xuanyu was silent for a moment before speaking, "At the flower and bird market, I heard those cat-sellers say that cats with more grooves on their upper palate are more precious. The top-tier cats have nine grooves and are the best at avoiding mice and guarding the house."

Xu Qing suddenly understood; it turned out Xuanyu wanted to look in the mirror to count how many grooves she had.

Cats have groove-like patterns on their upper palates. Ancient lore says that cats with only one or two grooves are the most foolish and clumsy, capable of getting themselves lost just by walking down the street. Those with three or four are gluttonous and lazy, poor at catching mice—the type that wouldn't even glance if a mouse ran right up to them to steal food.

Those with five to seven grooves are relatively common; such cats are clever and agile, already capable of guarding the home against snakes, insects, and mice, belonging to a more excellent category.

Those with eight or nine grooves are rare cats that can be sought but not found. Even at the flower and bird market, they are existence that people fight over, though the owners of such cats are usually unwilling to sell them.

Xu Qing had never seen a cat with more than seven grooves, and Xuanyu's words piqued his interest.

"If you want to know, I can help you count."

Xuanyu nodded upon hearing this.

"Open your mouth, don't move."

"One, two, three..."

At this moment, Xu Qing was like a dentist, and Xuanyu was the anxious patient.

When Xu Qing counted to 'eight', he suddenly paused.

Xuanyu became visibly nervous.

"Eight point one, eight point two..."

Xuanyu's eyes widened, and the tension she had built up instantly shattered.

"Xu Qing!"

The young girl's scolding voice rang through the mortician's shop.

Seeing that the cat in front of him seemed genuinely angry, Xu Qing hurriedly laughed, "It's nine grooves. Xuanyu is truly a spirit cat found only in legends."

Ever since she learned she was the cream of the crop among cats, Xuanyu was clearly very happy. Based on the principle of mutual care, she chased after Xu Qing, insisting on counting the 'grooves' of a human no matter what.

"One, two... only three grooves. Immortal Xu is not a clever person."

"..."

Xu Qing closed his mouth and said huffily, "Humans are different from cats. Only cats look at their upper palates."

"Then what do humans look at?"

Xu Qing pondered, "Knowing a person's face doesn't mean knowing their heart. Humans are the most complex. Generally, you only know what a person is truly like after experiencing things together and spending time with them."

Xuanyu looked at Xu Qing and said earnestly, "Immortal Xu is a very clever and powerful person. If Immortal Xu were a cat, he would definitely be a nine-grooved spirit cat."

Xu Qing chuckled, "If Immortal Xuanyu were a human, she would definitely be a clever girl, four feet five inches tall, with long black hair reaching her waist."

"..."

Xuanyu stared at Xu Qing; for some reason, she always felt that what he said wasn't anything good.

At the second watch of the night, at the Linhe pier.

There were many cargo ships and merchant vessels docked at the shipyard. Most of the Jinmen Gang members were huddled in the cabins or in the sheds on the shore, with only a few patrolling and chatting near the pier.

The Linhe pier was a hub for water trade in the Yong Dynasty. The developed canal transport made every inch of land here worth its weight in gold, while also breeding many parasites living here.

At this moment, on the largest storied boat, Jin Wanshan, the deputy leader of the Jinmen Gang, was drinking and chatting with several guests.

"Mr. Ling is a high-ranking expert from the Celestial Master Mansion. We will have to rely on you a lot in the future, sir."

The young man dressed as a Daoist priest spoke, "I am entrusted by Lord Cai to assist you when necessary, but my Celestial Master Mansion cannot labor in vain. Those occult items still need Leader Jin to search for them with all your heart."

"That goes without saying. Mr. Ling, rest assured. As long as any cargo ship carrying occult items passes through the pier, I will have them intercepted and then have Master Long send them to you at the Celestial Master Mansion."

Beside them, Long Engui, wearing a small melon-skin cap and a white horse-jacket, was huddled there eating grapes peeled and handed to him by Lady Jin.

"Sister-in-law's grapes are truly sweet!"

Upon hearing this, Jin Wanshan looked at the playboy who was unscrupulously eyeing his wife and laughed, "If Master Long has a craving for this, I'll have my wife wash some more and send them to you later."

"Then I must have a good taste!"

As the few were talking, a deafening roar suddenly came from outside the door.

The sound was like a lion or tiger roaring, or like a ghost screaming atop a mountain of corpses in a sea of blood...

The porcelain tea sets on the table hummed and trembled. The next moment, cracks appeared on the tea bowls and dishes, which then shattered one after another with a bang!

Jin Wanshan's gaze narrowed, his palm subconsciously gripping his sword.

When the roar subsided, the window of the storied boat suddenly shattered, and a gang member with a broken chest and twisted arms crashed directly in front of the table.

That wasn't all; immediately after, it was as if dumplings were being dropped onto the three-story boat—one after another, mangled Jinmen Gang members were thrown through doors and windows into the boat.

Jin Wanshan stood up abruptly and strode to the ship's wall. Through the dilapidated wooden wall, he finally saw the person causing the trouble.

"Who are you? How dare you cause trouble in my Jinmen Gang!"

Staring gloomily at the young man below with "back flags" inserted in his back, Jin Wanshan hadn't even waited for the young man to respond when a Qi-Condensing martial master behind him ignored orders and jumped off the boat.

Long Engui leaned toward Jin Wanshan, and upon seeing the flag-bearing young man below holding a black mace, he couldn't help but laugh, "What kind of act is this? Why has a general from the theater come here to perform?"

Mr. Ling, dressed in Daoist robes, also came to the hole in the boat wall. The three stood side by side at the hole, as if they were truly watching a play.

At the pier below, Xu Qing glanced up at the three on the boat, then turned his gaze to the martial master not far away.

Above the Qi-Condensing martial path is the Grandmaster level; Xu Qing had already sent many below the Grandmaster level to the afterlife.

Watching the opponent attack with a long-fist stance, Xu Qing kept his right hand holding the mace still and used only his left hand to meet the enemy.

Ignoring the Qi-armor emitted from the opponent's fist, Xu Qing unleashed the Tiger-Seal Dragon-Elephant Fist, and that Qi was completely blown away.

"The path of the Eight Gates, but unfortunately, you only know how to fight with brute force; it's full of openings."

Xu Qing's understanding of martial arts was no less than that of a Grandmaster. After casually blocking two of the opponent's punches, he used the method of "using the enemy's strength against them" and, with an equally fierce fist, broke through the opponent's defense.

"You..."

The Qi-Condensing fist-master struggled to climb up from the ground, but after only getting halfway up, he collapsed suddenly, completely losing his breath.

On the boat, Jin Wanshan raised an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes, "An inch longer is an inch stronger. Your fist technique is good, but I wonder if it can withstand the gold sword in my hand!"

However, before Jin Wanshan could jump off the boat, a martial master holding a long spear stepped forward and said, "No need for Leader Jin to act. I can take this person down within three moves!"

Below the boat, Xu Qing looked at the spear-wielding martial master as if he were an idiot.

He said an inch longer is an inch stronger, and you actually believed him?

With a tsk, Xu Qing simply inserted the Black Cloud Mace into the mace-pouch on his back, then hooked his foot to pick up a bamboo pole used for supporting the boat.

What a coincidence; he happened to know a little bit about spear techniques too.

In about two breaths' time, the spear-wielding martial master looked at Xu Qing as if he had seen a ghost.

"Your spear technique..."

The martial master had never in his life seen a spear technique that could pierce through protective Qi without even having a spearhead!

Xu Qing suddenly pulled out the bamboo pole and threw it aside, "Guardian Jin, you really don't intend to act? That's right, after all, you are a Guardian of the Heavenly Heart Sect. The life and death of the Jinmen Gang members have nothing to do with a 'Gold Guardian' like you."

One word stirred up a thousand waves. As Xu Qing's voice fell, the people around Jin Wanshan couldn't help but turn their gazes over.

"Who exactly are you?"

Xu Qing chuckled, "The Jinmen Gang is truly interesting. On the surface, you are lackeys of the officials, leaning on cabinet ministers in the imperial court, but privately, you are in cahoots with the Heavenly Heart Sect rebels. I just don't know if the Leader knows about this."

Originally, Xu Qing thought the Heavenly Heart Sect had been completely eradicated from Jinmen by him, but the moment he saw Leader Jin Wanshan, he understood: after the Green Guardian and White Guardian of the Heavenly Heart Sect's Five Guardians died, they were still unwilling to give up and had transferred this new Guardian to Jinmen to handle affairs.

As for why he knew Jin Wanshan was the newly promoted deputy leader...

From the moment he fought the first fist-master, this Jin Wanshan hadn't made a single move. When fighting the spear-wielding martial master, he had deliberately held back, giving the illusion that he could be rescued, but Jin Wanshan still remained unmoved.

After a little thought, Xu Qing knew the trick behind it.

Clearly, Jin Wanshan, this deputy leader, did not command respect.

"Mr. Ling, don't listen to his nonsense. Please, sir, act and avenge my two good brothers..."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 145 =====